Comments on: Cranky Genius: 2009 Yamaha R1

By: SAM

SAM — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:23:53 +0000

pmkeith...........wrong
AlanMcT..........correct
Coventry Climax did build the light weight engine for portable fire pumps.
I worked with them for many many years until they were replaced with a Nissan Micra
deridative.

By: Julian

Julian — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:39:06 +0000

I have one too, gone from a Suzuki K6 1000 which was brill, but this beast is better again, alot better. All the doubters out there go book a test ride then come tell us what you think.
I have covered 1500 miles on mine & it amazes me every time I go out on it.
Anyway bye for now, off out for a ride:)

By: the bull

the bull — Sun, 17 May 2009 23:49:07 +0000

Just chopped in 2007 R1 for 2009 R1 15.05.09, after getting a demo ride last month my mind was made up. Owned too many sports bikes to type up, this latest R1 is a strange beast indeed up to 7 thou its a rapid twin with NO yes NO engine braking what so ever, after 8 thou to redline its a conventional R1.
Not easy getting into it if your not a fan of the low down instant grunt of the twins and you need to enjoy your short shifting.
Handling slightly beta than 07 model which I ended up putting an Ohlins Road Shock on which helped a lot. Still running in this 09 model so will post more in the future.
If thinking of one and cant make mind up just do it I did and have absolutely NO REGRETS ITS INSTANT FUN EVEN WHEN RUNNING IN!

By: John

John — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:23:26 +0000

To all those who say it's just a marketing ploy and the only reason Yamaha wins is because of Rossi I beg to differ! Lozenzo has been regularly beating Rossi this Season and 4 Yamahas are often in the top 5. In SBK Yamaha are winning races on a brand new bike with no data and Camier has won three race in a row in BSB with absolutely NO testing.

It's not just a clever crank but also a brilliantly engineered bike, just as the first R1 was back in '98

By: Yer Gaz 42

Yer Gaz 42 — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:18:14 +0000

As said, all very interesting. But R1 ain't my kinda bike - I prefer'm naked - much more fun. ABS sounds handy though, but a fair old weight at 10kgs. Also the big piston forks sound useful for staying on the brakes a tad longer when or as required.

By: barry nuckley

barry nuckley — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:47:04 +0000

after reading the comments that people have left here it seems to me that every one is once again battling on about a new bike that has been completly over written however what people tend to forget that in the 90s one litre bikes will out perform most of us road users and the full potential of the bikes can only be ridden by the likes of rossi ! the moral of this story is no matter how much we talk about cranks wheels and so on its the rider that will make the bike do what its caperble of also when the new blade was launch every one said wow its rides like nothing weve ever riden same thing with the r1 however the more these bikes are profiled and tamperd with the more power the bigger problems and thats exactly what happed to the 08 blade it used more oil than shell could produce and the ri in 6 months will have people back on here saying its to noisy its to thirsty and so on!! wonder what suzuki are planning for next year??????

By: callum zammit

callum zammit — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:52:17 +0000

ah so, velly intresting!

By: steve j

steve j — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:32:51 +0000

I am not a biker, my limited automotive engineering was mostly 4 wheeled but I have listened in when this subject has recently been discussed. The conclusion arrived at was that there was a similarity with mainstream anti-lock brakes. For these the control system is not currently sophisticated enough to provide the optimum hydraulic pressure at all times so the logic is to provide enough to lock (as is usually present in a panic application) and immediately back off repeating very rapidly. As measured against "normal skill" drivers this is better than consistent over or under pressure. For propulsion it was thought that the lack of smoothness in torque with the "recovery time" previously mentioned by Keith would allow the "most skilled controllers" to get get a different form of feedback regarding grip or lack thereof at the borderline which one assumes they can exploit. It was also thought that there might be some unknown benefit at the tyre contact spot for a pulsed grip-slip system (certain railway tests have shown a benefit in traction with 3 to 5% deliberate slippage).

By: steven clarke

steven clarke — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:27:39 +0000

Wonder what it will soound like with after market silencers on?

By: jason howman

jason howman — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:33:04 +0000

what a load of balony about performance , if the power drop is to great , put a heaver flywheel on it to counteract it (and before u thing but we need a lighter flywheel) , the big bang crank on a 4 stroke needs a heavier flywheel anyway to get over the gap in power and makes the engine more uneven) the dip being greater anyway for the big bang so i wish they would state facts not bs , and this big bang crank was as previously mentioned developed originally for 2 strokes as they fire every 360 degrees , so 4 cylinders required a 90 degree spacing between the cylinders for an equal power output , not mentioning the smaller gap in the revolution and fact there is a power on n 1 breath at same time allows for a much lighter flywheel , ,,,,,, the only thing the bik bang crank on a 4 stroke would do is allow a 90 degree v shape n keep the timings right , or in an inline 4 create a shed load of vibration , lumpy power at low revs and a lot of vibration , not to mention require a heavier flywheel to carry the crank round further unpowered degrees , all of which is not good , oh it would give that v type sound , but then so could a tuned exhaust , without as meny drawbacks